


Inked

by BeStillMySlashyHeart



Category: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Genre: Established Relationship, Flashbacks, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-30
Updated: 2019-11-30
Packaged: 2021-02-24 15:35:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21620296
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BeStillMySlashyHeart/pseuds/BeStillMySlashyHeart
Summary: Michael and Alex have never hidden their relationship, not really. It's right there for anyone to see. So long as they know what they're seeing, at least.
Relationships: Michael Guerin/Alex Manes
Comments: 23
Kudos: 291
Collections: Roswell_Favorites





	Inked

**Author's Note:**

  * For [bisexualalienblast](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bisexualalienblast/gifts).



> Happy Birthday Amanda!! 
> 
> You asked for a break from the angst so I hope this feels that fluffy void

“Wait, wait, wait!” Liz called over everyone. The room was slow to settle, too much alcohol involved to keep them quiet. “Mikey, you didn’t answer.”

Everyone turned to Michael who merely drummed his fingers on the table and stared Liz down. “Gimme a shot.” He crooked a finger at the bottle in the middle of the table as everyone groaned.

“C’mon! You can’t drink,” Isobel cajoled. “Just tell us about one.”

“Just one!” 

“Please?” 

Michael stared around the table at each of his friends and siblings, each of them craned forward eagerly, hoping against hope that Michael would finally answer the question. Each of them but one, that is. Alex leaned back in his chair and raised an eyebrow in a dare. Michael wasn’t sure if he was daring him to talk or to keep his mouth shut.

He reached for the bottle.

“You’re no fun!” Rosa griped. “You have multiple tattoos, man, why not explain one of them?”

“It’s no use,” Max grumbled. “He’ll never tell. He’ll just show up one day with a new one and never mention it no matter how many times you ask.” Michael grinned as he threw back his shot. 

As the turn passed to Kyle and his regrettable decision to choose Dare, Michael slowly ran a finger along the outline of the guitar on his arm. It had faded with the years and the long hours in the sun but it was still readily visible, bold against the pale skin of his forearm. A foot nudged his and Michael looked up to see Alex smiling, his eyes moving from the guitar to the other tattoos Michael had hidden under his clothes. 

Max was only mostly right when he said Michael never explained his ink. Alex knew what each of them meant, even if Michael had never actually said the words and the reverse was equally true. Their friends might not know but Alex had his own fair share of tattoos hidden under his clothing and only Michael knew the story behind each one.

Kyle took a shot instead of doing Isobel’s Dare and the game continued. Michael stopped paying attention, lost in thought as he continued to stroke the tattoo.

_2008_

_“I want to do something stupid.”_

_“Like join the military?” Michael scoffed. Alex smacked him lightly on the stomach. They very carefully weren’t talking about Alex’s pending departure, even as it crept closer by the second._

_“I want a tattoo,” Alex announced._

_“Oh yeah?” Michael turned his head. “What of?”_

_Alex studied the stars overhead. “Would it be stupid if I said I wanted to get the UFO Emporium logo?” His voice was quiet but the night was so still, Michael heard him as clearly as if he’d been shouting. His heart skipped a beat._

_“That depends, I guess. Do you just really love your job?”_

_Alex turned to look at him. “No.”_

_Michael didn’t know what to say. He wasn’t sure if it was arrogant of him to assume that Alex meant their first kiss was so noteworthy that he wanted to permanently mark his skin as a reminder but he wasn’t sure what else would make Alex get that logo as a tattoo._

_Alex pulled away when Michael didn’t say anything, a few inches of space suddenly appearing between them. Michael’s side grew cold and he rolled over until he was perched over Alex, his good hand bracing him next to his head. “Would it be stupid if I got a tattoo of your guitar?”_

_A smile slowly inched its way across Alex’s face. “No logo?” Michael shook his head. No way was he getting a fake alien head put anywhere on his body. Alex ran a hand down his hip. “I think a guitar would look pretty cool.”_

“Michael!” 

He leaned back just in time to avoid Kyle’s ‘friendly’ punch to the arm. “What?”

“Truth or Dare?”

“Again?” He groaned. 

“Yup,” Maria popped. “So, which is it gonna be?”

He knew she was going to ask about his tattoos again, he just knew it. For some reason, it had been the topic of the night, what ink people had and why and what ink they’d consider getting in the future. Somehow Alex had managed to stay out of the discussion altogether, Michael thought as he glared at him across the table. Alex smiled innocently and motioned to Maria who was still waiting for an answer. “Truth,” he forced out, wishing he was a bit more drunk and willing to do whatever madness Maria came up with.

“Why the hell would you get a tattoo of your own hat?” Alex choked on his beer as the rest of the group stared at Michael incredulously.

“You have a tattoo of your _hat_?” Kyle asked.

Michael rolled his eyes and ignored Alex as he died silently on the other side of the table. “I like my hat and I didn’t want to lose it. I figured if I ever lost the actual thing at least I’d always have a bit of it with me.”

_2012_

_“Is that what I think it is?” Alex stopped in the middle of what he was doing, Michael’s jeans hanging by one leg as Alex stared at his now naked limb._

_Michael propped himself up on his elbows and looked down at Alex perched between his legs. “What?”_

_Alex ran a finger over the inside of his calf. His touch was light enough that Michael had to stop himself from flinching as it started to tickle. He knew now what Alex was staring at. “I didn’t want to lose it,” he admitted quietly. “You gave it to me.” Alex surged up and kissed him._

_“I can’t believe you got a tattoo of your own hat,” he laughed into Michael’s hat._

_“You bought it for me,” Michael repeated. “It’s the first gift anyone’s ever given me and it came from you. Why wouldn’t I want to keep it forever?” Alex stared at him, mouth agape, for a moment before he kissed him again._

_“Well,” he panted when he pulled back. “I feel less dumb now.”_

_“Oh?”_

_Alex grinned and tugged off his shirt, Michael helping him as soon as he realized what Alex was doing. As soon as the offending fabric was gone, Michael pressed a kiss to Alex’s sternum. He started to move towards Alex’s nipples but Alex grabbed his hair and gently pulled him back. Without a word, Alex turned slightly and directed Michael’s head down until he focused on the black ink scrawling up Alex’s right ribcage._

stole the guitar right outta my hands

stole my whole heart too

who knew we’d be lost forever

_“Is that-?” Michael’s hand shook slightly as he ran a finger over the words. They were his. He’d written them the last time he’d seen Alex, the other man plucking at his guitar strings as they made music together._

_“We didn’t get to finish it but I didn’t care,” Alex told him softly. He chuckled. “It’s our song.”_

_Michael had to kiss him then so he did. “You’re a sap. I’m a terrible song writer.”_

_“You are,” Alex agreed instantly. “But I don’t care.”_

_Michael kissed him again then ducked his head to kiss the words. His words._

“That’s a dumb reason to get something inked onto your body forever,” Rosa was saying as he tore himself from the memory. “I approve.” Michael grinned and reached out a fist for her to bump. She did so with minimal eye roll. 

“Alright,” Michael shifted in his seat. “Alex.”

Alex raised an eyebrow. “Dare.”

“I dare you to kiss me.” He grinned even as their friends shot him down. Michael even stood up and was halfway across the table before Liz shoved him back.

“That doesn’t count. Do something else.”

“Why doesn’t it count?” Michael protested with a laugh. “He said Dare, I gave him a dare.”

“It’s not a dare when you two make out all the time anyway,” Kyle rolled his eyes. He’d been happy for them when they got their shit together for about one day before he’d quickly tired of their PDA. “Do something else.”

Michael hummed. “Ok,” he grinned at Alex. “I dare you to show them a tattoo.”

Utter silence. And then-

“You have a tattoo!?” Liz and Maria yelled in unison, whirling around to stare at Alex as Rosa whooped with delight.

“Since when?” Liz asked.

“What happened to the guy who hated tattoos with a passion?” Maria followed. “You’ve always hated tattoos.”

Alex shrugged and grabbed a shot. Rosa was across the table in a second and pinned his wrist to the table. “Nuhuh, Manes. Show us the goods.”

“Don’t you think if I’d wanted you all to know I had a tattoo, I’d have shown you before now?”

“So your boyfriend’s playing dirty, tough luck,” Isobel was entirely unsympathetic. “Show us!”

Alex glared at Michael before sighing and nodding. “Fine. But I need you to let go.” Rosa held up both hands with a ‘who me?’ expression plastered on her face.

With his arms free, he slipped his jacket off his left side and quickly rolled up the sleeve to expose his shoulder. There in bright colors, only lightly faded from time but not the sun, was a pride flag stretched across the width of his shoulder.

“Huh,” Liz mused. “For some reason, that was not what I was expecting.” Alex rolled his eyes and put his jacket back on.

“Sorry to disappoint.”

“That’s not what I meant,” Liz huffed. 

“I was expecting some old school emo reference or something,” Maria laughed. Michael snorted and quickly covered it up with a fake cough.

“I got it after my first Pride,” Alex admitted. “Seemed like the thing to do.” He met Michael’s gaze, his eyes crinkling in the corners as he tried to hide his smile.

_2014_

_It was the first time they’d gone to a tattoo parlor together. Both of their first tattoos were done on their own to be shown later but this one, this one they wanted to do together._

_Michael chatted happily with the artist as the woman got set up while Alex sat nearby, his phone in his hand as he scrolled through his photos._

_“Is this good?” The artist asked as she placed the stencil on Michael’s arm. She held up a mirror and Michael gave her the okay to go ahead._

_“Anything good?” Michael had to speak a bit louder to be heard over the gun as she got started. Alex shifted without a word, angling his body and his phone so Michael could see the screen._

_“We’ve got a couple of good ones in here,” Alex told him even as he deleted a blurry photo. “I still can’t believe you bought that hat.”_

_Michael glanced at said hat in the corner, the sparkles catching the light and sending little rainbows around the room. “I felt naked without mine.”_

_“So you got the least subtle thing available?”_

_Michael nodded slowly, careful not to jostle his arm as the artist switched colors. “I like that one.”_

_Alex stopped, his thumb poised to swipe to the next one. “Really?” He looked awful, his hair a sweaty mess and his make up smeared._

_“We look happy.”_

_Alex looked at it again, this time ignoring the make up and the sweat and instead focusing on their smiles. They really did look happy. Without a word he sent it to Michael._

_“First Pride?” The artist asked with a smile. Both of them nodded. “Is it going to be your last?”_

_“No,” Michael told her immediately._

_“Definitely not,” Alex echoed._

_“Good.” She switched colors again, this time etching the purple stripe onto Michael’s skin. A few more minutes and she deemed him good to go._

_Alex took some photos of his new tattoo, the bi flag colors stark against his skin, while the artist cleaned up and got herself set to do Alex’s flag._

_“Which shoulder?” She asked as Alex settled in the chair. “Right, like his?” She nodded at Michael. Alex followed her gaze and considered him briefly before shaking his head._

_“Right.”_

“Who’s next?” Alex got the game back on track and diverted their questions away from his tattoo. Michael marveled at the ease with which he did so, envious at how Alex neatly escaped the endless questions Michael was forever subjected to. Max looked like he wanted to ask another question but Alex stole his attention with a dare for Liz to give Maria a lapdance. 

Michael pulled out his phone to record as Isobel queued the music. Liz rounded the table and pulled Maria’s chair back from the table to give herself room to work.

“You okay with this?” Maria pulled her hands away from her face laughing and nodded for Liz to go ahead. Liz grinned and got to work. The first few seconds were graceful but Liz quickly lost her composure and the dance turned into utter silliness. At one point she leaned back too far and Maria had to grab her waist to stop her from falling onto the floor. She didn’t quite stop her in time to prevent Liz from hitting the glasses on the edge of the table. 

“Oh shit,” Liz laughed as Maria helped her sit back up. “I’m sorry!”

Alex waved her off even as he held up his dripping sleeve to protect the rest of her clothes. Kyle grabbed the overturned glasses as Isobel hopped up to grab napkins. Michael helped Max clear the table so Isobel could wipe up the spilled tequila.

“I’ll throw those out,” he took the dirty napkins from Isobel as she switched to a wet rag to make sure the table was sticky.

“Well hello there,” Michael leered as he entered the kitchen to find a shirtless Alex hunched over the sink. “You okay?”

“It soaked through my jacket to the sleeve,” Alex explained as he scrubbed at the stain. Michael tossed the napkins in the trash and grabbed Alex’s shirt to help out. They worked in silence for a minute before Isobel interrupted.

“Holy shit, you’ve got ink,” she stared at the five tattoos littering Alex’s upper body. 

“Iz-” Michael warned as Alex turned away from her. He’d always been a little shy about his ink.

She tossed the dirty rag at Michael and retreated to the living room without another word. 

“It’s fine,” Alex waited until she was gone to speak.

“Yeah, it is.” Michael answered, responding to the concern Alex hadn’t voiced. “She won’t bring it up.”

Alex ran a hand down his chest in thanks and Michael grabbed it. He dropped the shirt to cup Alex’s hand and press a kiss to his wrist, his lips caressing the numbers inked there.

_2019_

_“Guerin,” Alex panted as Michael attacked his neck. Michael hummed. “Where’s your truck?”_

_“In the parking lot,” Michael mumbled as he pressed open mouth kisses to Alex’s collarbone, the top buttons on his shirt suddenly undone._

_“Guerin,” Alex warned when Michael didn’t move. “I’m not hooking up with you in the back room of our high school reunion.”_

_Michael finally lifted his head. “You hate the Airstream.”_

_Alex rolled his eyes as he tangled his fingers in Michael’s hair. “I don’t hate it. It’s not the most comfortable, sure. But it’s infinitely better than this.” He looked around the store room they’d found themselves in._

_Michael sighed and took a step back, grinning when Alex let out a low whine at the separation. He jerked his head. “Let’s go.”_

_Alex grabbed his crutch and quickly followed. They didn’t talk during the walk to Michael’s truck, dipping around the edge of the room to avoid Isobel and Maria. The drive to the Airstream was also silent except for the faint sounds of the radio, carefully tuned to Alex’s favorite station. The closer they got the more the nerves settled in between them._

_They’d spoken since Alex’s accident but this was the first time they’d seen each other. Michael’s hands ached with the need to touch Alex, to prove to himself that Alex was real and here and alive. But Alex was home for good now and it felt like there were things that needed to be said that weren’t and the words hung heavy in the air._

_“Hey,” Alex grabbed his jacket as they stood awkwardly in the middle of the Airstream. It was the first thing either of them had said since leaving the reunion and Michael feared for a moment that he was about to leave but he just pushed it off of his shoulders. Michael tossed it to the side the second it slipped off his wrists. Alex fingered the buttons on his shirt, an uneasy look on his face._

_Michael cupped his face slowly and Alex sank into it. He leaned forward and kissed Michael before Michael had a chance to move. They lost themselves to it for a few minutes, only separating when Alex pushed Michael’s shirt over his head, Alex’s shirt already on the floor._

_“What’s this?” Michael grabbed Alex’s hand as it moved back to his hair. There was black ink on the fine skin on the inside of his wrist, ink that hadn’t been there the last time he’d seen Alex._

_Alex didn’t answer. Instead, he pushed Michael gently until he fell back onto the bunk. Alex sat next to him to remove his jeans and leg and Michael shucked his own pants and boots._

_“What’s that?” Alex pointed at his ankle as it was bared to him. Michael eyed his own new ink and kissed Alex instead._

_Later, the sweat cooling on their skin as they lay tangled together in the small bed, Alex cupped Michael’s face with his right hand, angling his wrist so Michael could read it._

_“They look like coordinates,” Michael rubbed a thumb over the numbers._

_“They are,” Alex’s voice was soft. “For here.”_

_“Roswell?” Michael raised an eyebrow._

_Alex hummed. “After the- well, after, I wanted a reminder of where home was.”_

_“You hate Roswell?”_

_Alex nodded. “But you’re here.” He shifted and started to pull his arm back but Michael held tight. “Home’s not always a place.”_

_Michael didn’t offer any comments, just pressed gentle kisses along the tattoo. After a moment he sat up and tossed off the sheet covering them._

_“Michael?”_

_Michael turned his leg so that Alex could see the new ink on his ankle. Alex looked at him for permission before reaching out and thumbing the six numbers._ 072318

_“What do they mean?”_

_“It’s the day you called me from the hospital,” Michael admitted. “I’d heard about the incident in Iraq since it was on the news and I had the worst feeling that you’d been involved. It was only when you called me that I felt like I could breathe again. It was the day I knew I hadn’t lost you. That you were safe.”_

_Alex couldn’t quite reach his ankle with his lips so he rubbed the numbers again before pulling Michael’s head down to kiss him._

_“I’m safe,” he promised. “I’m okay.”_

_“And you’re here.”_

A loud throat clearing pulled them apart. “You have to come back to the table at some point,” Isobel admonished.

Alex glanced over his shoulder at her. “Says who? I don’t remember agreeing to that.”

Isobel arched her eyebrow. “You’re not having sex in my kitchen.” Alex turned to Michael and they shared a conspiratorial look that made Isobel groan. “I’m disinfecting this whole place.”

Michael handed Alex his shirt, the tequila stain not coming out but at least it wasn’t sticky anymore. “We could always go home.”

“We could.” Alex tugged his shirt on. “We shouldn’t, though. We promised a group night.”

Michael nodded. “We did promise.”

They stumbled through the front door of the cabin 20 minutes later, Liz and Maria’s jeers still ringing in their ears. They got ready for the night individually, coming back together in the bed. 

“I still can’t believe you got this,” Michael fingered the old alien logo tattoo on Alex’s hip. A year prior, Alex had gotten it touched up and added a cowboy hat to it.

“Well I’m not just gonna have any old alien on my body for forever,” Alex teased as he kissed the mark over Michael’s heart. He’d had mixed feelings about it when Michael told him what he wanted to get but he’d come to love it. His time in the Air Force had had its drawbacks, particularly for their relationship, but it had been a huge part of Alex’s life. After he’d received his discharge papers, Michael had gone out and gotten his rank tattooed on his chest. Captain Alex Manes was forever a part of him, now, just as it would forever be a part of Alex himself.

Michael rolled him onto his back and kissed his way through Alex’s tattoos before ending on the large mark on his left ribcage, the skin still healing. It was the alien map that had haunted Michael since he was a child. Michael had teased Alex for getting the same tattoo as his brother but he’d been not so secretly touched that Alex had wanted a map to Michael’s home. 

“You think we’re done getting tattoos?” Alex mused, his fingers carding through Michael’s hair as Michael continued to explore.

“Maybe but I doubt it,” Michael leaned up to kiss him. “I’m sure we’ll have more moments we want to remember forever. Personally, I’m looking forward to adding another date somewhere.”

“Oh yeah?” Alex laughed. “You got one picked out already?”

“Not yet. Figured we could pick that one out together.”

Alex hummed, a small smile on his face. “Is this what I think it is?”

Michael shook his head. “Nope. When I propose, you’re gonna know it.”

“I look forward to it.” Alex leaned up and kissed him, long and slow. “But not tonight.”

“Not tonight,” Michael agreed, chasing Alex’s lips as he leaned back. “We’re busy tonight.”

**Author's Note:**

> Tattoos  
> Michael:  
> \- Guitar (2008) - left forearm  
> \- Hat (2011, Alex gave it to him when he started working at the ranch) - back of left calf  
> \- Pride Flag (2014) - right shoulder  
> \- 07-23-17 (2017) - right ankle  
> \- Alex’s Captain’s bars (2020) - chest/heart  
> Alex:  
> \- Alien logo (2008, adds a cowboy hat in 2019) - left hip  
> \- Song lyrics (2011) - right ribs  
> \- Pride Flag (2014) - left shoulder  
> \- Coordinates (2017, Roswell/Michael’s location so he would always know where home was) - right forearm  
> \- Alien map (2020) - left ribs


End file.
